Homeowner Guide

Building a new home can seem like an overwhelming process. Bouffard & McFarland Builders makes sure that we guide you seamlessly through the entire process, from designing and planning your new home, to helping you decide on the different amenities that will suit your specific needs in a home.

Some builders give you a price for a house and don’t include things like septic planning, or well drilling, or excavation work. We make sure that our packages are suited to the specific house lot and town requirements, so that we do all of the work needed to get each customer into their perfect home, with everything included.

Step1: Initial Meeting
The home building process begins with an initial meeting between Bouffard & McFarland Builders and the new customers. At this meeting we discuss the type of home that you would like to build. Things we talk about are: styles of homes, size of the home, interior finishes, heating systems, if you have land or need help finding a lot, and other things. We like to learn about the family that will be living in the home, so we can have a better idea of the different options that might appeal to different families. Do you entertain often? Do you need a space for the kids to escape to with their friends? Do you have an aging parent that may come to live with you at some point? What is the budget for this home? These types of questions help us get the ball rolling. They help us find sample plans that will be able to suit the specific needs of your family and lifestyle as well as budget. After this meeting, we will send you some sample plans that we think might suit your needs.

Step2: Design and Revisions
Based on your feedback from the sample plans, we start working on designing the home. The process begins with finalizing a house plan with Reggie and our architect. We all sit down together and design the home. This process may take a few meetings to make sure we get everything right. We design the home side-by-side with each customer, and after each meeting, customers walk out with plans to take home and review. As soon as we have a final plan, Reggie walks the land with each customer to make sure everyone agrees on the exact placement of the home. Once this is determined, everything gets staked out and we can get digging.

Step3: Site Work and Foundation
Depending on the lot, initial site work can take a few days, or a little over a week to complete. Once the site work is complete, the foundation gets laid out. Reggie is on site every day during this process to make sure all of the sections are laid out exactly as shown on the plan. Foundation work will take about a week and a half from start to finish, depending on the size of the home, and style of foundation. During this time, the plumber and electricians will do any rough-in work before the floor is poured.

Step4: Framing
This is one of the most exciting stages because the homeowner can see the walls go up and really see the house start to take shape. This stage varies in length of time based on the size and complexity of the house. An average time-frame to frame the house is about 3 to four weeks. At the end of this stage, doors and windows are installed, the roofing gets started, and walk-throughs with the homeowner get started.

Step5: Walk-Throughs
Once framing is almost complete, the homeowners will walk through the house with the plumber and electricians and talk about where different things will be placed in the house. We let you decide (with our guidance) where light switches and fixtures will be placed throughout the home. Placement of outlets and cable will also be determined. We also have our kitchen designer help with the layout of the kitchen. He works with Reggie, the homeowner and the plumber and electricians to see where each kitchen component should be placed. Once walk-throughs are completed, the guys start installing all plumbing piping and electrical wiring.

Step6: Insulation and Sheetrock
Upon completion of plumbing and electrical work, the city does an inspection to make sure everything has been done to code. After receiving a completed inspection report, insulation gets scheduled and is follower by sheetrock. The insulation process is very quick. Depending on the air quality (hot and humid, or cool and dry), the sheetrock process can take a few weeks to complete. We have heaters and dehumidifiers, depending on the weather, to help speed up this process. But we do not rush it, it is very important to us to make sure that the taping and mud process of sheet-rocking gets done correctly, as this is very important to deliver a quality finished product.

Step7: Trim Work, Kitchen Installation, Flooring and Painting
This is a very busy stage of construction where there will be several workers at the house each day. We have the kitchen installed, followed by flooring, and then trim work and the paint. If you have built-ins or any other custom finish work, this is when we sit down and design those book shelves or entertainment centers and get them built and installed for you.

Step8: Installation of Plumbing and Electrical Fixtures
This is one of the final stages, electrical and plumbing fixtures are installed as well as door knobs, and drawer pulls.

Step9: Punch Lists, Inspections and Cleaning
The end of construction comes with another walk-through with the homeowner and a team member of Bouffard & McFarland Builders. We walk through the home and make notes of anything that needs to be addressed prior to move-in. Usually items on the punch lists are things like making minor adjustments on doors, or making sure that all of the light switches are hooked up to the correct lights. We have a final inspection with the city or town inspector and also with the mortgage lender. We have a cleaning team come in and clean the home so it is ready for move-in day.

Step10: Move In and Closing
Once all inspections are passed, we schedule a closing and you move into your new home. It is important to know that just because we have closed and received all payments for the home, we are still here for you. All of the homes we build have a one-year service warranty. And beyond that, we are always available to help you with any of your needs. We take pride in the fact that we remain close to each customer and are here for each and every customer for years after we’ve finished building their home.

I can't even begin to thank you for the beautiful dream home you built for us. What a great experience to work with you both and what a superb crew you have. It is a truly amazing house and so beautiful. Words can't even express our gratitude and appreciation. -- Carrie Haynes